Paradise Postponed...

Saturday July 11th: "Forget not that a shadow held between your brother and yourself obscures the face of Christ and the memory of God. Around you angels hover lovingly to keep away all darkened thoughts and keep the light where it has entered in. Your footprints lighten up the world; for where you walk forgiveness gladly goes with you."

I read this quote from a Course in Miracles while having my leisurely breakfast in Fernanda's kitchen. I am absorbing Brierley again. Fernanda and Charlotte have gone into town to do some shopping. I noticed that Charlotte was wearing a pretty dress this morning. She says that she slept "the best in ages". I am singing quite happily (and rather loudly) with Andrea Bocelli when they return.

Over lunch, Charlotte and I talk about the Law of Attraction. She tells me how once when she was really broke she had three wishes: a microwave oven, a tenant who would not be living in the room (she needed both the room and the money), and a ticket to Mexico. I said that I believed in “The Secret” but that the tenant might be a tall order. She agreed and then proceeded to tell me the story in detail. Within three weeks of "asking", she got all three!

I had asked Fernanda if she would buy me some batteries as my camera is eating them whole. There is a story connected with the Law of Attraction here too. You might find it silly, but I don't care: it's my blog!

I had decided late last year that I needed a new car as mine was into its second decade (great cars Opel Corsas though). Anyway, I thought that I would really like a Mini. Rebecca my daughter sent me a lovely message on my birthday in February and ended it with: "...maybe this will be the year of the Mini!"

Sometime after I realised that there was no way that I would be able to afford even a six year old one and so decided to wait for the perfect car to come to me and it did.

I have had Volvo 240s in the past and love them but I have always loved the C70 Coupe: it's a bit big and thirsty but anyone who knows me knows I am a petrolhead from way, way back. One was advertised in the paper and I decided to go and see it. Perfect. But more than I wanted to pay as the miles were high (which means little on a Volvo really). I offered half knowing that he would most likely tell me to bugger off. Give me 2000 euros he said. Did I hear right? This was 500 less than I had offered! I was reminded of The Life of Brian: "You're supposed to haggle!"

He told me that it would need to pass its ITV (safety check/MOT) and that might cost a bit so if I would pay for that then I could have it for 2000 . "It's all I really want out of it," he said, "I want her to go to a good home." Good home! I'll wash her every day and wish her good night..."You need look no further," I said, delighted.

So where does the Mini come in? Be patient...

Anyway, with Simone Volvo in Santiago awaiting my return, Fernanda and Charlotte came back with batteries. There were 8 in the pack. "This was a bit more expensive," Charlotte apologised, "but we thought you might like this..." In the pack was, you guessed it, a scale model of a Mini Cooper!

The moral of the story is: "Ask for what you want....but always be Very Specific!"

Back to the day: after yesterday's session with Charlotte I thought I should wait around for a while just in case there were any "abreactions": in clinical hypnotherapeutic terms this is a negative reaction - a catharsis of sorts - followed by a feeling of great joy and sensitivity, but it can be a bit frightening if you don't know what to expect.

I said I would take Charlotte into trance that afternoon, this time to explore more of the blockage and if possible free it. Obviously I am not going into detail, but I asked her to free three stones from the bottom of a deep pool. Each of them would have a word and all three words would be connected. This turned out to be very successful as Charlotte later told me - as we were walking a short way together out of the village - what she had released and it was just the catharsis I was hoping for.

I got involved in hypnotherapy about three years ago, just before completing my Masters in Psychology, which I also teach at the A level. I practice psychotherapy on the Costa del Sol. I have found hypnotherapy to have simply remarkable results when twinned with psychotherapy and there are very few areas where it is not effective, and often very quickly. I have achieved very fast breakthroughs for people (hypnosis and children is my speciality) who have been seeing psychologists or psychiatrists for months with little success.

It is a pity that so few people know anything about it. Anyway, this will no doubt be another blog at some future time. In the meantime if you are interested, you might like to access my other website at www.headstartcentres.org which will tell you more about hypnotherapy in Marbella and the Costa del Sol.

I leave Fernanda's still laughing about the two women dancing in the kitchen at two in the afternoon. My plan is to return after my week in Santiago and to guarantee that I have both left a few kilos of stuff and have promised Fernanda a copy of my book. Charlotte is now re-thinking of travelling to Italy an idea she had virtually abandoned. I say I have a feeling we will meet again.

The walk is lovely: cows, cats, country people and cabbages, and I feel that something very important about this part of my personal Camino has been accomplished. I miss the Posada Juventude in Ponte da Lima and in true Portuguese character the woman I ask for directions virtually takes me there. (This, later, I find is not just a Portuguese trait: Gallegos do it too.)

I share a room with a German woman, a doctor but we do not say much even though she speaks English. I am alone again but happy. From my window that evening I see windmills silhouetted against an ever changing sunset.

It has been a good day.
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